Lamberto Bava is a mystery to me. On the one hand he is the son of the legendary Mario Bava, has worked closely with Dario Argento, and basically grew up around a camera, yet on the other hand, all of his films, with the exception of Demons, have bored me to tears. I know no man want's to grow up and become their father, but in Lamberto's case he's apparently decided to become the Anti-Mario, with dull, lifeless sets, flacid acting, and less atmosphere than the moon. These are the elements that make up Macabre, a "supernatural thriller" that could only succeed in thrilling the mentally challenged (and this is as long as they also handed out free ice cream and party hats at the theater).

Macabre tells the tale of a cheating wife, Jane, (Stegers) who loses her lover in an automobile accident as they are rushing back to her home where her son has "accidentally" drowned. Her boy-toy Fred (Roberto Posse) is decapitated in the accident, and Jane is sent off to a mental hospital for a year for treatment. She is released, and returns to the house where she rented a room from a young blind fluglehorn repairman (I shit you not!) named Robert (Molnar), who has always had a little crush on the tart. Robert begins making his moves on Jane, who at first seems warm and receptive, but always rushes off to her rented flat to have a tryst with a mysterious man she keeps calling Fred. Hmmm. Could it be THAT Fred? Well, if the constant flashes to the padlocked "head-sized" freezer and Jane laying in bed with what appears to be a man with a body made of pillows don't clue you in on what the big mystery is, then watch Macabre. You deserve each other!

This film is not as bad as Bava's other mess, Delirium, but it does come close. The acting isn't as atrocious, and there are a couple of creepy moments, but not enough to remotely recommend sitting through this slow-as-a-leggless-sloth-in-a-pool-of-glue car wreck of a film. Instead, rent Blade in the Dark, or Demons. These two films show what young Lamberto is capable of, and are easily his best.

The DVD from Anchor Bay looks and sounds fine. The quality of the image is not the problem with Macabre, believe me. There are also some theatrical trailers, a short Bava interview called A Head for Horror (insert rimshot here) and a filmography.

If you are a die-hard Bava Family collector, well, there is nothing that will stop you from buying this disc, but all others steer clear.